Always
by Rebecca Cage
Summary: After the death of Sam's father, SG-1 take her for a weekend away at Jack's cabin. Here, Sam realizes just how much she needs her friends and how much they mean to her. Post Threads.


Always

Colonel Samantha Carter sat in her lab, rummaging through her drawers trying to find something that she wanted to take with her. Her friends were taking her away from Colorado for the weekend. She, Jack, Daniel and Teal'c were all going to spend three days at Jack's cabin in Minnesota. To her it was a welcomed distraction to give her the opportunity to keep her mind far away from what she was facing.

It had barely been 48 hours since Sam had suffered one of the worst losses in her life. Her father, Jacob, had died along with his Tok'ra symbiote, Selmak, after waiting too late for the removal of the dying symbiote. Her father had given of his life to ensure the destruction of the replicators and all but two of the Goa'uld. Even knowing her dad's heroism didn't make the situation any easier. Ever since she had been at her father's bedside and watched him take his last breath, Sam felt like she was lost and drifting aimlessly. In all honesty, if it hadn't been for her friends, the only family she had left, she wouldn't have managed to keep herself anchored and be as strong as she had been up to that point.

"Hey, Sam. You ready to head out? Daniel and Teal'c are waiting at the elevators." Jack began, noticing the blank look in Sam's eyes. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm okay, Jack. I was just going over the stuff that I've already gotten together to make sure that I don't forget something that I need." Sam said, trying to put on a brave face.

"Okay. Can I help you carry your bags out to my truck? I want you to ride with me and Teal'c and Daniel are going to be right behind us in Teal'c's SUV with the rest of the supplies. It saves gas that way and plus, seeing that we have a three hour drive ahead of us, I can't think of another person I'd rather spend the time with."

"That sounds good. I don't really want to be by myself at all right now."

"You're never going to be alone, Sam. Never forget that. I love you. You'll always have me. I'm going to work on the regulations as soon as we get back on Monday. For the next three days we're going to be off base and out of town so we can do whatever the hell we want to and it won't matter for anything."

"I know that. I love you too, Jack." Sam whispered as Jack leaned over and kissed her lips softly. Then he lifted the larger of her two bags and headed out the door to meet Daniel and Teal'c at the elevators to the surface.

* * *

Twenty minutes later, the group had gotten the bags and supplies that they would need for their long weekend loaded into the two cars and took off out of Cheyenne Mountain on the three hour long drive to Minnesota. The only stop that they were going to make on the way to the cabin was a market about 45 minutes from Jack's cabin so they could stock up on food and drinks for the days that they would be there. Jack was glad of this because it gave him plenty of time to get Sam to open up to him.

"So, what do you think, Sam. This is your first time coming up to my cabin. After all these years of asking, it finally takes us admitting our feelings for each other for me to get you to come. I think you'll be surprised at how relaxing it is out in the middle of nowhere." Jack said casually, trying to make conversation.

"Yeah, I know. I wish I would have come with you before. All I know now is that getting out of town with you, Daniel, and Teal'c is exactly what I need to keep myself distracted. It's also comforting to know that I have the other thing I need to get through all this."

"What's that?"

"I need you, Jack. It really helps to know that I have your love and that you're there for me. I really don't know what I've done without you for the past eight years. There's no way I could survive this point in my life without your support." Sam whispered, turning to look out the window at the stars that were beginning to appear in the darkening sky.

"You have me and I'm not going anywhere any time in the foreseeable future. Daniel and Teal'c are also here for you. There's nothing that any of us wouldn't be willing to do for you. We all love you, Sam. We're more than just a team, we definitely are a family."

"I know. We'd be really hard pressed not to have such a strong bond after all of the wild things we've been through together. Honestly, I can't think of very many people in my life that I've felt as close to as I feel to you guys."

"Well, I'm glad that you feel that way. No one can understand what the four of us have come to mean to each other. I guess Hammond was right when he once said that when you risk your lives with people day in and day out, you can't help but form some very deep bonds. You guys truly are my family and I don't know what I would do if I ever lost any one of you." Jack whispered as Sam turned to stare out the window into the night and lost herself in her own thoughts.

* * *

Two hours later, the two cars pulled into the small market where they were going to stock up on groceries that they would need for their weekend of relaxation, bonding and togetherness. By this time it was 9:30 and the four were beginning to feel tired from their long drive.

"Sam. Hey, we're here to stock up on groceries. Come on in and pick out some stuff that you like. If anything, you need to get out of the car and stretch your legs."

"Huh. Oh, sorry, Jack. I guess I was off in my own little world there. Let's get our groceries so we can get to the cabin and get some sleep." Sam said distantly as Jack regarded her with a worried look.

"Hey, Jack. What's up with Sam? Is she okay?" Daniel asked as they were waiting for Sam and Teal'c to finish picking up what they wanted to get.

"I'm not sure, Daniel. I think it's just that she's taking her dad's death really hard. She didn't really say much on the drive up here. Maybe she'll talk to us while we're up at the cabin this weekend. The most important thing that we can do for Sam right now is to let her know how much we care about her." Jack said.

"I hope she'll be okay, Jack. I'm really worried about her."

"We are finished making our selections, O'Neill. Should we not depart?" Teal'c said as he and Sam came toward them, breaking through Jack's thoughts.

"Yeah. Let's check out and pay for this stuff so we can head on up to the cabin. It's getting pretty late and we've still got a 45 minute drive ahead of us."

"I think that's a pretty good idea. We're all getting pretty tired and if we're planning on getting up early tomorrow then we need to get some sleep."

"Do you wish me to drive the remainder of the journey, Daniel Jackson?"

"Yeah. That might be a good idea. I don't know how much longer I'd be able to go on." Daniel said, yawning.

* * *

Once they left the market and set out on the remaining drive to the cabin, Sam immediately began gazing blankly out of the window again. Jack had tried several times to strike up a conversation with her without any luck. Her quiet, inward behavior and closed up method of dealing with her pain was beginning to frighten him a little.

Meanwhile, Teal'c's thoughts were also with Sam and how quiet and secluded she had suddenly become. He was very protective of his friends and it disturbed Teal'c greatly when he was unable to do anything to help them. It was small solace that by offering to drive the remainder of the way he had succeeded in protecting Daniel, who had fallen asleep not long after they had resumed the journey. As he followed Jack into the driveway of the secluded cabin, Teal'c decided that he was going to talk to the other two in the morning to try to figure a way to help Sam.

When they got to the cabin, Jack got out of his truck and stretched and then went around to the passenger door to help Sam to get out. She jumped slightly when Jack reached out and touched her shoulder.

"What? What's going on?" Sam asked.

"We're at the cabin, Sam. Come on, I'll help you carry your stuff inside and then we can come back out and give Teal'c and Daniel a hand with bringing everything else inside." Jack said softly.

As Jack and Sam unlocked the cabin door and brought the luggage inside, Teal'c decided to wake Daniel up and start unloading the supplies and groceries from the back of his SUV.

"Daniel Jackson, we have arrived at our destination. You must awaken and assist me in transporting the supplies inside." Teal'c said, gently tapping Daniel on the shoulder.

"Hmm. What? We're here already. Why didn't you wake me up before now?" Daniel asked as he got out of the car to help the Jaffa, straightening his glasses on his nose in the process.

"I did not alert you when we neared our destination because you were tired from navigating the long journey from Cheyenne Mountain and I did not believe it would be wise to disturb your slumber for such an announcement."

"Thanks, Teal'c. I also appreciate you taking over the last leg of the drive after we stopped. I guess I was more worn out than I thought."

"You are welcome."

"Okay, kids. Let's get all this gear inside and squared away. Sam and I already took all of our luggage inside so we don't have to deal with that." Jack declared as he came back outside to join them, Sam following close behind.

"Yeah, I don't know about the rest of you guys but I'm beat. A hot shower and a comfortable place to sleep sounds completely up my alley right about now." Daniel said, setting down the cooler he was carrying and stretching.

* * *

A few minutes later, they had carried everything in the cabin and put things where they needed to go. Once that was done, the next order of business was to put the luggage away.

"Now, here's the way I worked this out. Of course, I'll be sleeping in my bedroom. Sam's going to be in the first guestroom right next door to mine, and Daniel, you and Teal'c can use the two beds in the room across the hall."

"That sounds okay to me." Sam smiled.

"This arrangement is indeed most agreeable, O'Neill."

"Yep. But to be honest I don't really care as long as I have a comfortable spot to crash. For the moment, though, I want to take a shower before I go to bed."

"Sure thing, Daniel. Bathroom's right down that way." Jack grinned, pointing his friend down the hall and going to put his bag in his bedroom. "Carter, Teal'c, you guys go ahead and make yourselves comfortable. We've gotten all of the cold things in the refrigerator so the rest of it can wait until in the morning."

"Indeed. I shall settle in and place my things in the room where Daniel Jackson and I are to be staying."

"Yeah, that sounds like a plan. I think I'll do that, too. I'll be back in a minute, Jack."

As Sam and Teal'c left the room, Jack sat down on the couch with a lot on his mind. He knew that Sam was hurting and keeping everything inside and hiding the way that she was doing would only make things worse. It was obvious that he needed to do something to help her begin healing, but it was frustrating that he had no idea what that something was.

A few minutes later, Sam and Teal'c came back and rejoined Jack in the living room, Teal'c taking a seat in one of the large chairs while Sam sat down next to Jack on the couch. It wasn't that much longer before Daniel reemerged to join them as well.

"So, looks like we've got a little bit of a pajama party going on here." Daniel joked as he flopped wearily into the chair opposite the one Teal'c currently occupied.

"Oh, yeah. This is the first time I have my whole team here with me at my cabin and I intend to make sure that all three of you have a good time." Jack grinned, wrapping an arm around Sam's shoulders.

"This is indeed a most pleasant place, O'Neill. The quiet environment greatly differs from that of the SGC and many of the planets that we have visited. It is a most wonderful way to spend our weekend." Teal'c said, his infamous half smile forming on his lips.

"I agree with Teal'c. This is a great way to spend some time together, Jack. A beautiful cabin beside a peaceful lake with no other people around for miles. No Goa'uld, no staff blasts whizzing just over our heads, no detonating C4 just in time to save our asses from a contingent of enemy Jaffa. For the next three days it's just us and I wouldn't have it any other way." Sam said, honestly smiling for the first time that day.

"That's true. I wouldn't have it any other way either. Now, I think we should all go to bed so we can get up early in the morning, have a good breakfast, and go fishing. Then after that I have some other things up my sleeve." Jack began as he looked around the room at the three people in the galaxy that he was closest to. "The only problem is what we're going to do about the body in the recliner over there."

At this comment, Sam and Teal'c turned to see what Jack was looking at. It didn't take them long to figure out what he was talking about. Daniel had fallen asleep in the chair he was sitting in with his feet propped up, his head had fallen lightly to one side and he was snoring softly.

"We need to get him back to the bedroom somehow, Jack. He'll wake up with a crick in his neck and one hell of a headache if we let him sleep in that chair all night." Sam whispered, kneeling beside the chair and placing a hand on Daniel's arm. "Daniel. Wake up, Daniel. You need to go back to the bedroom and lie down." At the gentle prodding, the young archaeologist mumbled softly in his sleep but didn't wake.

"I shall undertake the task of transporting Daniel Jackson to the bedroom where he can sleep more comfortably. Please stand aside, Major Carter."

With this comment, Teal'c gently lifted his sleeping friend from the chair and headed to the room where they would be staying. Jack had to stifle the urge to laugh as Daniel's head fell to rest against Teal'c's shoulder, making him look like a young child against the Jaffa's large frame. With startling smoothness and fluidity of motion, Teal'c walked back to the bedroom and deposited Daniel on one of the beds that Jack had turned down for him. After helping Teal'c get Daniel comfortable and settled, Jack decided to head to bed himself.

"Night, Teal'c. See you guys in the morning."

"Sleep well, O'Neill." Teal'c nodded to Jack as he left the room, preparing himself for bed.

"Did you help Teal'c get Daniel settled, Jack?"

"Yep. So, are you settled in okay? Is there anything you need?"

"No, I'm fine. Thank you. Well, I'm going to go to bed. Goodnight, Jack. I'll see you in the morning."

"Night, Sam." Jack sighed, watching as she went into the room next to his and closed the door. Then he went to his bedroom, stretched out across the bed and fell asleep listening to the quiet rustling of the wind outside his window.

* * *

At about 2:00 in the morning, Jack awoke to hear the front door opening and closing. Confused, he got out of bed and padded quietly out of his bedroom. He walked to the room across the hall and peeked in the door. Upon finding Daniel and Teal'c both sound asleep, Jack became extremely worried so he went outside to see if he could be of any help. He found Sam sitting on the dock over the lake, crying softly in the dawn twilight.

"Hey, you all right?"

"Jack. What are you doing out here? I thought you were asleep." Sam asked in a shaky voice, quickly wiping the tears from her face.

"I was but I woke up when I heard the door open. If you needed to talk to someone why didn't you come and wake me up? You know my door is always open to you."

"I just needed to spend a little time by myself. You don't need to worry. I'm fine, Jack. Really." Sam said, trying to put on a brave front.

"Sam, stop it." Jack whispered firmly, taking her hands tightly in his own.

"Stop what?"

"Sam, you don't have to put on a brave face with me. Baby, I know you're hurting. I mean, you just lost your father three days ago for crying out loud. I love you, Sam. I want to be here for you if you'll only let me. Come on, love. Just talk to me. Let me help you through this."

Hearing these soft words, so full of love and gentle compassion, made it impossible for Sam to keep up her façade any longer. She put her head on her drawn up knees and broke down in tears, crying openly for the first time since the death of her father.

"Come here." Jack whispered, pulling Sam into his arms and holding her tightly against him. "It's okay. I'm right here, Sam. I'm right here. You're not alone in this."

"I can't believe this happened, Jack. I thought when Dad blended with Selmak that he'd live a lot longer than any of us would be alive. It just doesn't seem real. I wish I could go back and make this never have happened. I want my Daddy, Jack. I want my Daddy." Sam sobbed, burying her face into Jack's shoulder.

"I know, sweetheart. Believe me, I know. This is hard on all of us. We all cared a lot about your dad, Sam. If there was any way, _any _way, for me to bring Jacob back to you, I would do it in a heartbeat without even thinking. But I can't do that, no matter how much I wish I could. What I can do is give you the love and support that you so desperately need right now. You'll always have me. I'm always going to be here for you."

"Even though it's something I already know, I can't tell you how much it means to me to hear that right now."

As Sam stayed in Jack's strong embrace, they watched the sun rising over the lake. In this moment, it seemed to Sam that this sight represented something special. It signified the dawning of a new period in her life. A time in her life where, even with the mourning she felt for her father, she had somehow managed to find love and future happiness.

"It finally happened, Daddy. I wish you could be here to see it but it finally happened." Sam whispered as Jack helped her up and led her back toward the cabin.

As the couple walked back to the cabin, a single white dove flew overhead and behind them, the wind whispered through the trees in a tone that sounded eerily familiar.

"I know it's happened, Sam. I love you and I'll miss you. I'll always watch out for you."


End file.
